


Catching the Same Cab

by okemmelie



Category: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: F/M, it's a ghost au but idk if that counts as major character death, starkid writes discord
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 16:35:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21121883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okemmelie/pseuds/okemmelie
Summary: Ghosts are corporeal for exactly one hour every single day, forced to vaguely relive their last moments until they’re allowed to move on. Unfinished business, unsolved deaths and  dissatisfactory lives are the most common things keeping them here. Ted’s a cab driver whose company doesn’t want to waste gas on ghosts who can’t pay the cab fares. Despite this, he keeps picking up Charlotte.





	Catching the Same Cab

**Author's Note:**

> i had an empty google doc for this idea for more than a week, then i ended up speedwriting it and now it's finally here! the prompt for this was 'ghosts', but (spoilers) there's actually only one ghost, big sorry

It’s a little past nine when a lady gets into the backseat of his cab. Ted notes that she doesn’t look too wet despite the rain outside and he appreciates it. He asks her where to and she gives him an address and smiles to him through the mirror. He smiles back.

She’s pretty but she’s also pretty quiet, so Ted turns up the radio and hums along to himself. It seems to amuse her.

They arrive at her address and he tells her how much she owes for the trip. She hands him the money, thanks him for the ride and gets out of the cab. Then she disappears into the rain. Literally disappears. The money in his hand disappear too.

_ Be careful with who you pick up from downtown at night _ . His boss’ words are clear in his mind.  _ Ghosts don’t pay the bills, Ted. People do _ . It’s a little past nine and he parks his cab downtown. The woman from last week gets into the backseat of his cab. He lets her, asks where she’s going and she gives him the same address as last time.

He doesn’t keep quiet this time. Instead, he asks her about her day. It seems to upset her. He tells her not to worry about it. She doesn’t have to tell him if she doesn’t want to.  _ Do you want to hear about mine instead? _ , he asks. She nods, so he tells her. It’s not the most exciting thing in the world, but she listens with enthusiasm. He appreciates it.

They turn down her street and he asks her for her name. She asks for the time.  _ It’s nine fifty three _ , he tells her. She smiles sadly and says, she has to go.  _ Maybe next time. _

She’s gone before they even reach the address.

Her name is Charlotte. She lets him know as soon as she gets in the cab. This time, she sits on the seat next to him rather than in the back and he appreciates it. He introduces himself as Ted and asks her where she wants to go. She gives the same address as before and he nods, then starts driving.

She asks him about his day. He talks and she listens. He’s never met anyone who listens the way she does and it’s strangely exhilarating.

They turn down her street and she takes a look at the clock, then tells him to pull over. They’re still nine houses from her destination, but he does as she says. He asks her why they’ve stopped and she simply tells him that it’s nine forty nine. He doesn’t know what to make of that, so he shugs and accepts it.

_ What’s your favorite color? _ Red, he tells her. Then he asks for hers. It’s purple.

A car drives past them. It’s a police car and Ted can’t help but to follow it with his eyes. When he looks back at Charlotte, she’s gone. It’s not nine fifty three yet, but she’s gone. He waits for five minutes, hoping she’ll return. She doesn’t. Then he drives home.

Everyone knows the rules of ghosts and so, when Ted finds himself missing Charlotte, he decides to park his cab where he usually pick her up at eight fifty. Someone gets in almost immediately and he shouts at them to get out.  _ Fine _ , she shouts back. Then she calls him an asshole and leaves with her middle finger up.

Eight fifty three. He’s looking around outside and manages to catch a glimpse of Charlotte as she appears. She looks around, then sees his cab. He can see a smile form on her lips when she spots it and it makes him smile too. She gets in and he starts driving before she’s had the chance to say where she’s going.

_ Same as usual? _ , he asks. _ Same as usual _ , she confirms. She doesn’t want to go straight there, though, so she asks him if they can park near Oakley Park. No harm in that, he decides and parks there.

They talk for a while and he learns that she used to work at an office here in town, that she used to be married to a cop and that she always dreamed of owning a cat. He learns that she was afraid of heights and that she loved romantic comedies.

That night, they don’t bother starting up the car again. They just speak and occasionally glance at the time so they have time to say goodbye before she disappears.

Ted doesn’t mind paying Charlotte’s cab fares if it means getting to spend time with her. It’s a small price to pay for an hour of happiness. But there are nights where he doesn’t work and doesn’t feel like driving, and he still misses her on those nights.

Tonight is one of those nights and he decides he’ll just walk there instead. It’s a bit far, but he’s more than willing to make the trip. He shows up a bit before she’s supposed to appear and takes a seat on a bench while he waits. At eight fifty three, she appears. She looks for his cab while he gets up and makes his way over to her.

_ Hey _ , he greets her. She turns around.  _ Ted. I didn’t think you’d be here _ , she says.  _ Of course I’m here _ , he smiles. She smiles back. Then he reaches for her hand and she lets him take it. They walk around town together hand in hand and it’s a good evening.

It’s raining. They’ve made plans to walk around Oakley Park tonight and Ted fully plans on following through, so he’s been driving around with a raincoat in his lap all day. When they park at the park, he offers her the coat and she smiles, then turns his offer down. Ghosts aren’t affected by the weather, she reminds him.

He talks about his day and she listens. Then she talks about her life and he listens. It’s like it usually is. She asks about the time, like she usually does. It’s already nine fifty two. How has an hour passed so quickly?

She pulls him down and presses her lips against his. He’s surprised. This isn’t how it normally goes. But he’s not about to complain. This is what he’s wanted too, so he kisses her back. It’s the best kiss he’s ever had. Then she disappears.

They’ve been seeing each other almost every night for more than a year. They’ve driven around town and seen every little bit of the city. They’ve gone on countless walks in all kinds of weather and really gotten to know each other. They’ve had sex in the back of the cab more times than Ted can remember and he’s even shown her his apartment.

Every single night, he wishes she would stay. Tonight, he tells her that and she admits, she wishes she could stay too. She wishes she had known him in life. He says she shouldn’t. He isn’t all that impressive. It makes her laugh, which makes him smile.

_ I love you _ , he says.  _ I love you too _ .

The next day, Ted can’t pick her up. There’s an event in Clyvesdale and his boss insists he goes there. It’s more profitable, apparently. Ted thinks it’s bullshit, but goes anyway.

He returns to his and Charlotte’s spot the next day. Eight fifty three. Eight fifty four. Eight fifty five. She doesn’t show up. He starts worrying. Eight fifty six. Eight fifty seven. Eight fifty eight. Eight fifty nine. He starts up the car and decides to head to her old home address, just to see if she could have shown up there.

A police car is parked in front of her house. He swears he can see police tape too. He decides to turn the car around. It’s Halloween and maybe ghosts can’t cross over. He doesn’t know how exactly that works, so he just goes home. He’ll be back tomorrow.

She doesn’t show up.

He still goes back every single day until one day, he decides to read the news and he sees Charlotte’s face on the cover. He doesn’t like the headline:  _ Hatchetfield Cop Arrested, Missing Wife Discovered In Basement Freezer _ .

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by this tumblr post: https://helenmcwife.tumblr.com/post/188339213352/siderealsandman-princessnijireiki
> 
> also sdfsdsdf i'm allowed to plug my own tumblr, i've decided. it's helenmcwife, come talk to me (and feel free to to leave requests for fics, i will write it for you!)


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